Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 708 - 707 - Changes in the Ring

Lind awoke the next day to a very stern Qing looking down at him.  He had to explain what he had done that made him sleep so deeply.  She let him go after a soft scolding.

The mighty Emperor Frey was laid low by a single person.  If only Gravis could see him now!

He glanced at his right hand and saw the black band there.  He was about to delve into it when his eyes widened.  The once sinuous dragon on it was now changed.  It had horns and thicker legs with 5 talons!

It also had a larger mane.  The level of detail was easy for him to pick out but he realized it was his dragon form!  How had he not seen it before?

He sighed that after the hectic life he led in the Law Binding, he had to make sure to break any bad habits he had picked up.

He sunk his senses into the ring and was floored by what he saw!

He knew it could hold more but he currently saw 10 cubic kilometers inside it!  Normally he would want to know what needed that kind of space but there were already examples!

It was not simply storage any longer but a shimmering wall cut off the more standard area from a massive tree with no leaves sitting in what looked like soil with violet grass.  Why was it violet?

Lind carefully brushed his senses against it and suddenly felt the world twist a bit until he was inside the barrier.  He looked back and could see only a smokey wall behind him but he could pull back anytime.

There was a feeling of life all around him.  It was not like the Heaven Realm but it was not far off.  He concentrated and a seed popped through the division.  Lind caught it and tried to plant it but the seed froze above the grass itself!

He smirked as it felt like the ascension pool barrier!

"So you won't accept something simple, but then what is this place for?"  He let his senses go a little stronger but he did not dare do more yet he felt something odd.  The closest thing he could relate to the sensation was the tree, soil, and grass were asleep.

"Could you please wake up, I would like to know what this area is for."  He infused his Qi but nothing happened.  He then pondered for a bit but then carefully conjured a spark of harmony Qi.

It fell slowly until it finally touched the soil.  The whole area became vibrant and the tree began to bloom but the ceiling had no sun or sky, just the normal smokey color like the rest of the exterior barrier.

Still, it came to life as the tree, once barren of any leaf or flower, now grew both leaf and fruit!  The leaves were also violet but darker and the fruits looked like apples.

The normalcy of the apple was quickly replaced as the red skin turned into various colors.  What was going on?

[You cannot stay much longer, Master.  The Dantian Tree will take time to prosper.]

Lind heard Haro but as he watched he saw something that made him smile.  The apples were emanating faint traces of all 18 versions of Qi!

He pulled his sense back to the normal area and felt a strain fall away he did not even know he had!  He saw the tree was getting livelier but he would have to ask about it later.

He looked around and found another area sectioned off but no barrier.  It held various tools that seemed ancient.  They gave off an aura even he felt intimidated by but a few were familiar.

He recognized a smelting and refining artifact.  It allowed a refiner to work on the go, ideal for a cultivator out gathering materials or far from facilities.  He had made a few himself but the current one was clearly far above his skill.

He noticed a few jade vials of pills but he recognized none of them.  He took a few to examine later yet the moment he took them, knowledge appeared in his head.

[Sun Compression Pill]

[Moon Expansion Pill]

[Elemental Flow Pill]

[Law immersion Pill]

The 4 names were clear to him after making elixirs for so long and talking with Fey and his mother about their profession.  The Moon Expansion was easy enough, it would help a Moon Tier infuse Qi far more efficiently for a time into the moon of a dantian.

He also felt inspired by the Elemental Flow Pill but it felt off to his senses.  Likely it worked on the same flawed elemental theories but surely it came from realms far above his current one?

The Sun Compression Pill was interesting.  He understood it was a good compliment to the Law Immersion Pill to take the next step into the Immortal Realm.

There were several vials worth and he suspected many would sell their souls to get them.  Still, he would have his mother and Fey look at them later.  He found several formation plates of a similar nature and realized the entire area was good support for a breakthrough or cultivation in general.

He was mystified why it was all neatly in the Heaven Realm or moving to the next step up, but did not look a gift horse in the mouth.

He took a few more artifacts for study and was about to leave when his sun flared.  He carefully looked back and saw a fine sandalwood box.

He carefully extracted it and opened it but he was stunned at what was inside.

[Sliver Tier Treant Core]

He had not heard of such a tree creature but it would not surprise him anymore.  Gryphons, minotaurs, and other mythical creatures had already been seen by him in the Law Binding alone.

Still, he felt like it was odd compared to any core he had yet encountered.  He did not even know plants could form cores.  Plants usually increased their aura by changing every cell in their bodies.

Spirit herbs were special mutations in that vein but living plants were not capable of speech yet it seemed the Immortal Realm would introduce new variants once more.

He closed up the box and moved to the last new area with objects in it.  Compared to the rest, his mind felt fired up just looking at it.

Grade 7 materials were very scarce, part of why Immortals were so rare, but now he had a veritable mountain of them!

Ore, herbs, catalysts, and even a few things he was not sure of as they seemed to be normal food!  He would need to catalog it all and see if he could match them up to current records.

All in all it was a treasure trove revealed.  He looked once more at the strange tree Haro called the Dantian Tree but left the ring.  He felt more tired than he should but the vials and other items came with him.

He sent a message to Fey and Mira but they were not free so he set them aside.  He then opened up the strange core but the instant it was exposed to air, branches began to grow out of it!

Lind realized that unlike beasts, plants could resurrect from the core alone!  He tried to stop it but dark wood ensnared him until emerald flames lined his body.

"Screeeeeee!"  A weak cry came from the newly formed branches but then the core Qi began to flow into him!  Lind felt pain as it was too powerful, yet the pain lessened as he realized it was not the elements he wanted but the spirit!

The core was exuding spiritual Qi far stronger than anything he had encountered.  His dim sun was lighting up and his vision seemed to see a faint ghostly image of himself in the room flying into his body.

His weak body recovered at its normal pace after so long but he still felt wiped out as the core collapsed into dust.

[Well, that was unexpected.  Plant cores are much richer in spirit Qi than aether beast cores.  I did not think it could be that beneficial or I would have suggested it earlier.]

Haro spoke but Lind could only nod.  He felt better but clearly not all was well.  His Qi was still sluggish and his sun, while brighter, was still low Sun Tier.

He still paid a price to help Tessa and now he had to recover what he lost.

Still, he noted the benefits of plant cores for the future.  He would be curious to know if other 6 elementals could benefit.

He was about to try and cultivate as he felt much better when his senses told him something was off.  He narrowed his eyes until he was looking at the box dust in his hand.

In pure shock, he saw a sapling begin to rise from them!

He examined the plant but did not recognize it at all!

[It is a new treant but the Qi is too weak to really let it bloom.  It could be useful if you cultivate it in an herb garden.  They are very good as protectors of such places if raised from very young.]

Lind had so many questions at that revelation but carefully fed some Qi to it.  The plant seemed to wriggle in joy which made it look cute.

"Oh boy, Fey will love this one."  Lind carefully emptied out a pot in his room and created a rich earth to fill it.  He felt no pain at last but his Qi drained far faster than it normally did.  Still he planted the dust and sapling at once.

He then smiled as it seemed to wave at him in happiness at its new home.  Just when he thought he had seen it all, the cultivation world revealed a new facet to it.  He also swore that if he raised the little fella, there would be no core harvesting.

Lind returned to cultivating and waited for wither Mira or Fey to come meet him.